


Beg, Borrow, or Save

by Dimity Blue (Arnie)



Category: You Rang M'Lord?
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s01e06 Beg Borrow or Steal, Gen, Pre-Het, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26733598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arnie/pseuds/Dimity%20Blue
Summary: James's thoughts about Ivy's revelation. This is how it all began.A missing scene for the episode Beg, Borrow, or Steal (season 1, episode 6).Spoilers for the episode.This fic includes some lines from the episode.
Relationships: Ivy Teasdale/James Twelvetrees
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Beg, Borrow, or Save

"'Cause he's my dad."

James stared at Ivy, barely able to believe his ears. Like James, Ivy was cursed with a rogue for a father. Unlike James, Ivy was still caught in her father's toils.

All James could think of was to say, "Oh, Ivy, I am sorry." And he was. It was hardly likely Ivy would escape Alf's influence enough to avoid being brought down when Alf finally received his just deserts. No, it was all too likely Ivy would lose her good name and reputation, and maybe even face a court trial, especially if James stood aside now.

"Oh, please... please help me!"

Ivy, bless her, had no inkling she was begging for help escaping a dire future with no way for her to earn an honest living. She undoubtedly thought her pleas were for her father and she thought James would be moved by them. James could have laughed. Here he was, handed the perfect opportunity to destroy Alf Stokes for good and he couldn't take it. To do so would be to destroy Ivy as well and she didn't deserve that.

James gently lifted Ivy off his chest and stood her upright. "Now, I need to think. I'll do what I can. And, Ivy, you're a good girl. I'm doing this for you."

He left her then, waited for Alf to pass him, and ran up the stairs. Ivy would undoubtedly tell Alf she'd confessed the truth and it was a pity James couldn't stop to enjoy Alf's dismay. Alf was too self-centred to think James might be moved by pity for Ivy into saving Alf. Alf would assume James would act like him and use this opportunity to bring Alf down.

Not today, unfortunately. How Alf had come to have a decent, hard-working daughter like Ivy was a mystery to James. Perhaps her mother had had more influence over her daughter than she had over her scoundrel of a husband.

For now, that was immaterial. James paused by the dining room door to assure himself the family and their guests were too busy with their soirée to pay attention to James, then he quietly opened the drawing room door and stepped inside. It was all too easy to put the cigarette box into Fisher's pocket without Fisher noticing before retreating downstairs to fetch Constable Wilson. The rest of James's plan went off without a hitch and James enjoyed the stunned look in Alf's eyes when he realised James wasn't going to expose him after all.

It wasn't until after they'd all retired to bed that James gave any more thought to Ivy's confession and its ramifications. It explained so much about Ivy that James was only surprised he hadn't suspected the truth before. Of course she was Alf's daughter. That was how Alf conveniently had a maid in mind when Lord Meldrum needed a new one. Naturally, James hadn't seen Ivy's references but he knew who'd written them: Alf Stokes.

James tutted to himself. Ivy needed guidance, that much was obvious. No wonder she'd struggled so much in the beginning - being over-familiar with the family and having to cover her lack of training with ridiculous lies like her last employers being Bohemians. Shame on Alf for leaving her to struggle on alone. Well, no more. With James's help, Ivy was going to become a proper parlourmaid of whom any household could be proud.

As for Alf Stokes, James was a patient man. He could wait. Sooner or later, Alf would slip up and James could be rid of him without endangering Ivy. All James had to do was wait.

The end.


End file.
